ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Capt. Scott Krey and members of the crew of the fishing vessel Alaska Warrior were honored by the Coast Guard at City Hall in Unalaska Thursday for their part in the heroic rescue of the crew of the fishing vessel Alaska Ranger on March 23, 2008.
The Mayor of Unalaska Shirley Marquardt and Lt. Jose Rosario, supervisor Marine Safety Detachment Unalaska, presented Krey and his crew with a Meritorious Public Service Award from the Coast Guard for their immediate response to the Alaska Ranger’s tragic sinking. The Alaska Warrior’s rapid response and successful execution of the difficult rescue resulted in 22 lives saved.
The rescue was affected by the Alaska Warrior and Coast Guard aviators in blizzard conditions and high seas over several hours.
“The entire rescue should be categorized as a miracle, because in spite of the horrendous weather and a chaotic sea state, 42 men and women went home to their families because of the efforts of the Coast Guard crews and the Alaska Warrior,” said Marquardt.
Krey and his crew kept their focus on the job at hand, working as quickly as possible to pull the cold, exhausted survivors from the water. They proceeded to treat them for hypothermia on board the Warrior and eventually returned them safely to Unalaska.
“We are reminded again and again just how unpredictable and deadly the Bering Sea truly is, and how valuable the right equipment and regular training is for a positive outcome if the situation allows,” added Marquardt. “Prayers for the safe return for those who fish the Bering Sea, and those who protect them are given every season, and we do not forget those who have been lost.”
Meritorious Public Service Award to the captain and crew of the Alaska Ranger reads:
Captain Scott Krey and the Crew of the ALASKA WARRIOR
The Commandant of the United States Coast Guard takes great pleasure in presenting the Coast Guard Meritorious Public Service Award to Captain Scott Krey and crew of the Fishing Vessel ALASKA WARRIOR for exceptional services rendered on March 23, 2008. In the early morning hours of March 23, 2008, the 189-foot Fishing Vessel ALASKA RANGER, with 47 crewmen aboard, sank 120 nautical miles west of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. As U. S. Coast Guard assets launched into the early morning darkness, Captain Krey and the crew of the ALASKA WARRIOR immediately diverted to the location of the foundering ALASKA RANGER. Steaming for 35 nautical miles in high seas and 30-knot winds, the ALASKA WARRIOR battled to reach the 47 crewmen from the ALASKA RANGER adrift in the frigid Bering Sea before they succumbed to hypothermia. Captain Krey and his crew arrived on scene approximately three hours after the ALASKA RANGER had sank and immediately began rescuing hypothermic victims from the cold and dark waters. For over four hours, the ALASKA WARRIOR doggedly teamed with the U. S. Coast Guard to rescue as many people as possible. In all, the combined efforts of the U. S. Coast Guard forces and the ALASKA WARRIOR saved 42 of the 47 people that entered the water on Easter morning. The actions of Captain Scott Krey and the crew of the Fishing Vessel ALASKA WARRIOR are heartily commended and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard.
